There are now three times more members of co-operatives than individual shareholders worldwide, according to a new report issued by Cooperatives UK.
The report, ‘Global Business Ownership 2012’ reveals that, despite only seven per cent of the world’s population living in a country without a stock market, just 328 million individuals are direct shareholders compared with the one billion who are members of a co-operative enterprise.
The figures underline the scale of commitment from consumers and workers to retaining ownership and control of businesses which are dedicated towards sustainable, long-term success.
In the UK, where the world’s first co-operative enterprise started, 14.9 per cent of the population has direct ownership of shares, compared with 21.1 per cent who are owners or members of a co-operative.
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